Growing Big Traps

Q: How can I develop bigger traps so that they pop out when I do a crab pose?

A: Consider that the pose you’re referring to is also considered a “most muscular” pose because it brings out not just the traps but also the pecs, shoulders, delts and arms. You asked for great traps, however, and a great first step would be shoulder shrugs done with barbells and dumbbells.

The shoulder shrug done with a barbell is a simple exercise that will develop the upper traps. One key training tip is to curl your wrists under slightly so that the elbows point out, not back. It will help ensure that the bar travels straight up and give you a greater range of motion.

The key advantage of dumbbells over a barbell is that they enable you to perform the exercise with your arms at your sides and your hands in a neutral position, thus giving you a greater range of motion and a more vertical line of resistance than you would get with a straight bar. This technique helps correct the excessive internally rotated shoulder and arm posture commonly associated with those who have bench-pressed excessively for years.

One of my favorite shrugs is the one-arm barbell shrug. It’s a much smoother motion than dumbbell shrugs, as there is no friction from having the weights sliding up the legs. To get the most out of one-arm barbell shrugs, do them in a power rack with the barbell set across the pins. You can then brace yourself with your free hand against one of the power rack posts, which will enable you to keep your torso upright. Also, to increase the time under tension—which favors growth—pause for a predetermined time—one to six seconds, for example—at the end of the concentric range of motion.

Unless you are a weightlifter and have slabs of muscle on your upper back, be sure to include some type of shoulder shrug in your workouts frequently. After all, everyone needs to be able to “Hulk out” once in a while.

I'm not huge, but my buddies with nice traps are big on the deadlifts.

I had been shrugging for a couple years with not much to show for it. Since I added deadlifts I've actually started to see a difference in the last 6 months or so.
Personally I like to follow up deadlifts with barbell shrugs. They'll be sore for a few days.

I can do deads, 315 to 350 for 10 reps, 3-4 sets. No need to rely on a belt with mediocre/semi-heavy weight. Conventional. I'm 42 & maybe a handful of guys my age in the gym can do any deadlift at all. Most have some type of injury or chronic pain. And that's the point: what works for you may not work for others.

To the contrary, theres a guy in his 30s here that does shrugs, usually bbell, with anywhere from 550 to 600 lbs. I guarantee his traps he bigger that yours or hotchits. And he never does any deads. So he would probably laugh that they are essential & the only way to get huge traps.

I can do deads, 315 to 350 for 10 reps, 3-4 sets. No need to rely on a belt with mediocre/semi-heavy weight. Conventional. I'm 42 & maybe a handful of guys my age in the gym can do any deadlift at all. Most have some type of injury or chronic pain. And that's the point: what works for you may not work for others.

To the contrary, theres a guy in his 30s here that does shrugs, usually bbell, with anywhere from 550 to 600 lbs. I guarantee his traps he bigger that yours or hotchits. And he never does any deads. So he would probably laugh that they are essential & the only way to get huge traps.

You're getting it backwards. It's you and people like the author making the assumption that doing 50 sets of shrugs a week is the key to getting bigger traps. We're saying that's not the case - that you can get them even without doing a single shrug.

I can do deads, 315 to 350 for 10 reps, 3-4 sets. No need to rely on a belt with mediocre/semi-heavy weight. Conventional. I'm 42 & maybe a handful of guys my age in the gym can do any deadlift at all. Most have some type of injury or chronic pain. And that's the point: what works for you may not work for others.

To the contrary, theres a guy in his 30s here that does shrugs, usually bbell, with anywhere from 550 to 600 lbs. I guarantee his traps he bigger that yours or hotchits. And he never does any deads. So he would probably laugh that they are essential & the only way to get huge traps.

Ther not the only way to get huge traps, when i say essential i mean they r essential as a corner stone of any weight trainin program, for me personally, a combination of upright rows, shrugs & deads r best for all round trap growth and development. In response to u sayin about the dude in his 30's that doesn't do deads, though he dosnt dead currently he probably did at some point

You're getting it backwards. It's you and people like the author making the assumption that doing 50 sets of shrugs a week is the key to getting bigger traps. We're saying that's not the case - that you can get them even without doing a single shrug.

I have big traps. I always get comments about them. I haven't been able to do deadlifts for 6 years (due to chronic knee problems). But I shrug using the the Smith machine, with the bar held in front and rear. What I learned long ago is that my traps respond best to a lot of sets. I do at least 10 sets once a week with about 400 lbs.